GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY - Sunday, January 15, 2017

 Sunday - January 15, 2017

All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be.

-Saint Francis de Sales

TODAY'S READINGS

 

January 15, 2017

 

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Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 64

Reading 1IS 49:3, 5-6

The LORD said to me: You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial PsalmPS 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God. 
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Reading 21 COR 1:1-3

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

AlleluiaJN 1:14A, 12A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him,
he gave power to become children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelJN 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.'
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel."
John testified further, saying,
"I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

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“Behold the Lamb of God!”

Introductory Prayer: Jesus, thank you for this opportunity to be with you, my Lord and my God. You always seek me first. Even my desire to encounter you is a fruit of your love for me, of the action of your grace in my heart. I trust that this day will be filled with the graces I need to respond generously to your call to holiness and to be your apostle.

Petition: Lord, help me to be a witness to you with the same courage, humility, and openness to the Holy Spirit as John the Baptist.

1. John “Saw Jesus Coming Toward Him.” -  Jesus is always coming toward us, too. Why? Because he loves us. He never imposes himself. He doesn’t burst through the door and force us to accept him or even acknowledge him. But he does remain close, hoping we will catch a glimpse of his love and, in that instant, recognize that he is everything our hearts long for. What will happen if we open the door of our life, of our heart, to Christ? He will call us to abandon the tight confines of our egotism, greed, lust, envy, and selfishness. He will open undreamed-of horizons and give a rich, new dimension to our poor, fleeting days on this earth. He will bestow on us a transcendent mission: to testify to him not only with our words, but with everything that we are.

2. John Testifies to “the Lamb of God.”  - As John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him, he proclaims: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John’s title for Jesus is rich in meaning. Fifteen hundred years before Christ, during the exile in Egypt, the blood of the paschal lamb spread on the Israelites’ doorposts saved their families from the angel of death, who slaughtered the first-born of the Egyptians. As a result, Moses was able to lead the chosen people to the Promised Land. Christ is the true Lamb of God who offers himself in sacrifice to take away our sins and to open to us the Promised Land of heaven. John’s testimony requires humility: His own disciples leave him to follow Jesus. Do I strive for this same humility? Do I put my testimony to Jesus above my own self-interest?

3. John Recognizes Jesus Through the Holy Spirit:  John’s testimony was so convincing that many of his own disciples became followers of Jesus. Yet John himself claimed that at first he did not know Jesus. What did he mean by this enigmatic phrase? As Jesus’ relative, John certainly knew who he was; however, the precise moment in which Jesus was to begin his Messianic mission remained unknown to John. It was only through the action of the Holy Spirit that John fully recognized Jesus as the Chosen One of God, who was now to be revealed to God’s chosen people. The Holy Spirit seeks to work with the same power in our own lives. What attachments to worldly interests still distract me from the Holy Spirit’s action? What fears still hold me back from letting him do with me whatever he pleases? Do I fully trust in him who is love itself?

Conversation with Christ: Thank you for always coming toward me, Lord. Thank you for your love for me. At times I don’t know what you see in me, Lord, but even in my weakness and sinfulness I want to return love with love. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, help my love for you to be bold and ardent.

Resolution: I will ask the Holy Spirit to help me openly bear witness to Christ during the day.

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God Bless You.....

KONKANI PRAYER GROUP - Abu Dhabi

"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone"  Mark 16:15